Distal clavicle fractures account for approximately 10% of all clavicle fractures. Many clavicular shaft fractures tend to heal without incident. However, complications often arise with respect to distal clavicle fractures. As a result, proper healing is less certain. Indeed, reported rates of nonunion in type II distal clavicle fractures have been between about 22% and 50%.
Numerous fixation methods have been proposed for the surgical management of distal clavicle fractures.